The Metro

In Michigan and across much of the country, Indigenous people vanish, and often, their cases vanish with them.

Wrapped up in those unsolved cases are incomplete stories, transformed communities, and grieving families.

When those families seek answers, they are frequently left with more questions. Tribal police, state cops, and federal agencies are often all involved to some degree, and this jurisdictional maze is one reason many cases remain unsolved.

But rising awareness at the state level could spell change.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently proclaimed May 5 “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day” to coincide with the national day of remembrance. It is a push for collaboration between state and tribal governments to address the failures of law enforcement and government.

A new state task force is also centered on bringing together tribal, federal, state, and local officials and advocates to make a dent in the roughly 4,000 unsolved cases in the state. 

The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, a tribe based in southwestern Michigan, has been at the forefront of this kind of work through marches, advocacy, and community healing. The tribe has emerged as a leader in the fight for Indigenous visibility and justice.

Robyn Elkins, the tribe’s vice-chairperson, joined The Metro to discuss what it's like to advocate for an issue that has deeply affected her community.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The muted complexes and concrete towers that paint the image of America’s public housing tell a deeper story. It’s a story of segregation, of communities trying to survive along the margins, and of money and power shaping neighborhoods.

In Detroit — as in many places — it’s a layered story, one that involves neighborhoods like Black Bottom and Paradise Valley — majority Black middle-class communities that were razed in the late 1950s in the name of "urban renewal." Many of the residents who were displaced were promised better housing in public projects, but those promises rarely came to fruition. 

But even in the most challenging times, many public housing residents have made the best of it, raising children, organizing neighbors, and demanding more. Now, a new museum in Chicago is illuminating those histories — not to romanticize them, but to confront them.

The National Public Housing Museum honors the people who made homes in a system stacked against them. It also asks: What should public housing in America look like today, and how can it be a place where people and families can thrive?

Lisa Yun Lee, executive director and chief curator at the museum, joined The Metro to help us answer these questions.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

We're just over a week away from Movement, Detroit’s annual electronic music festival. The event draws techno lovers from across the globe for three days of music, dancing, and for many people — heavy partying. 

While Movement discourages and prohibits illegal or illicit drugs at the event, research from the National Institute of Health shows that electronic music festivals are typically "high-risk scenes for drug use."

Passenger Recovery is a Hamtramck organization offering recovery and mental health support and sober programming for musicians and/or other individuals in the local music scene.

Bryan Wolf, director of programming at Passenger, joined The Metro on Wednesday to share some resources and outreach efforts planned for Movement weekend. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In Wayne County, one of the foremost organizations trying to ease residents' mental health burdens is the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN). 

Last year, DWIHN began offering mobile mental health crisis services 24/7 to support residents facing mental health crises. The organization also expanded its mobile crisis unit services to children.

Just last week, DWIHN announced a new community outreach clinic to reach residents in Wayne County neighborhoods. Andrea Smith, director of innovation and community engagement for DWIHN, joined The Metro to discuss this new service and what they offer.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Last weekend, the Trump administration reduced tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%

James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, thinks tariffs are a bad idea because they make both trade partners worse off. 

Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with Hohman this week about tariffs and whether there are any instances in which they can be useful.

"Protectionist policies have proven to be ineffective time and time again," Hohman said. "...the only way to ensure a mature, thriving and growing industry is by staying on the competitive edge, and protections pull you away from the competitive edge."

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

A mistrial was declared earlier this month in the murder trial for Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr. He faced one count of second-degree murder for shooting and killing 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids in April 2022.

When Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, attempted to flee during the traffic stop, Schurr chased and tackled him to the ground, engaging in a physical struggle before fatally shooting Lyoya in the back of the head, according to the case.

The trial began about a month ago, and after nearly four days of deliberations, the jury failed to reach a consensus. For many, the incident brings to light concerning national statistics that show Black people are twice as likely as white people to be shot and killed by police. 

Detroit Free Press politics reporter Arpan Lobo has been following the case closely. He joined The Metro to break it all down and share his reaction to the mistrial.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Uncertainty. That’s the word that economists are using to describe the U.S. economy lately.

It’s also the theme of an upcoming small business event. 

The 11th annual Small Business Workshop, hosted by Michigan marketing consulting firm The LEE Group, will explore “strategies for resilience" in the face of economic uncertainty. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday at the Corner Ballpark, and cover topics like the latest tariffs and how they are impacting small businesses. 

Mark Lee, president and CEO of The Lee Group, joined The Metro to share more ahead of the event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The National Institute of Justice reports that 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.

To stop the violence, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is expanding its work to assist the victims and families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). 

Lorna Elliot-Egan, director of tribal government services and policy at MDHHS, told WDET’s Nargis Rahman that the department hopes to increase awareness and resources for Indigenous communities. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Former state Sen. Adam Hollier announced last month that he is again running for Congress to unseat U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit).

Hollier filed to run against Thanedar in 2024, but was removed from the ballot after the Wayne County Clerk's Office said he failed to get enough valid petition signatures.

The Detroit Democrat joined The Metro on Tuesday to discuss the biggest issues he believes metro Detroiters in the state's 13th Congressional District are facing, along with what inspired him to run again.

"I live in the 13th District, I have been born and raised in the 13th District, I'm raising my children in the 13th District," Hollier said. "It is one of the poorest districts in the country, and what you should expect from your members of Congress — your elected representatives at any level — is that they are moving the ball forward. That they are making your life actually better. That they are delivering things that have a real impact, and that's not what we're seeing from Congressman Thanedar."

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Detroit Public School Community District is hosting its 56th annual "Evening of Fine Arts" at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, highlighting students' achievement in the arts over the past year. 

The annual event was created to give students an opportunity to perform on grand stages like the Fox Theatre, while showcasing their artistic ability and the various arts disciplines offered by the district.

More than 700 middle and high school students will be performing this year, featuring everything from visual art and dance to music and theater.

Andrew McGuire, deputy director of performing arts at DPSCD, joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more about the event. He was joined by William Perkins, a junior vocal music major at the Detroit School of Arts, who spoke about the experience of performing at the Fox.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.